Density Dependent Cannibalism
Density dependent cannibalism is a sort of cannibalism that occurs under varying population densities, and acts as mechanism of population regulation.
An example of density dependent cannibalism is seen in larval dragonflies (Figure 9) (Buskirk, 1989). Under higher population densities the dragonfly larvae would become cannibalistic. Individuals in larger populations are subjected to higher competition for resources such as food. Cannibalism helps to reduce this competition by removing individuals from the population, and inturn acts as a regulatory mechanism for population size. This permits the persistence and survival of some individuals, giving them a greater opportunity to reach maturity and produce offspring of their own.
Figure 9: Dragonfly larva